“Cooked”: Exploring culinary experiences in the Sierra Foothills

AWARD-WINNING FOOD AUTHOR Michael Pollan and Oscar-winning filmmaker Alex Gibney are receiving widespread praise for their Netflix documentary Cooked. In Cooked, Pollan explores how cooking transforms food and shapes our world. Each episode examines one of the physical elements used throughout the ages for cooking: fire (barbecue), water (pot cooking), air (bread making), and earth […]

Food Trends: What’s hot for 2016

LOCAL SOURCING OF PRODUCE, meat and seafood are among the top restaurant trends for 2016, according to the National Restaurant Association’s annual culinary forecast. The survey, focusing on the responses of nearly 1,600 chefs, also identified continued interest in environmental sustainability as a trend. Locally sourced meat and seafood rank at the top of the […]

Dining out in Grass Valley

ALONG WITH OTHER FOOTHILL towns, Grass Valley’s dining scene expresses its own local traditions: Cornish pasties, Italian food and Asian cuisine from its Gold Rush heritage, along with fresh fruits, vegetables and free-range meats from surrounding farms and ranches. It also mirrors the trend of culinary innovation in small towns across America, including a chef’s […]

Soups and Stews in Grass Valley and Nevada City restaurants

GRASS VALLEY’S NOTABLE residents include retired actor Clint Walker, best known for his cowboy role as “Cheyenne Bodie” in the TV series Cheyenne. We visited with Cliff earlier this year at Grass Valley’s Gold Rush Days and, among other topics, talked about the local restaurant scene. Clint confirmed what we’d heard: He’s a fan of the […]

Grass Valley’s eclectic dining scene

THE DINING SCENE IN GRASS VALLEY is among the most vibrant in the Sierra foothills. Restaurants offer a wide range of fare—pizza, pasta, steaks, chicken, sushi and fresh, local food—all at affordable prices. The ambiance of the restaurants is memorable, ranging from the open kitchen at Kane’s Family Restaurant to the carved cherry wood bar at […]

Flavors of Asia in the Sierra Foothills

THE BROADWAY MUSICAL MISS SAIGON IS coming to the foothills this spring. Asian culture has been an integral part of our region’s past. In the mid-to-late-1800s, the area received a flurry of activity during the Gold Rush and later, the building of the first transcontinental railroad. The building that houses Sopa Thai in Nevada City […]

Eat Your veggies! Vegetarian cuisine growing

THE RANKS OF VEGETARIANS and vegans are growing, thanks to increasing health awareness, environmental concerns and more locally sourced fruit and veggies. As many as 10 percent of adults consider themselves vegetarians, even though they may eat fish or chicken occasionally, according to the Vegetarian Resource Group. The foothills and Sierra are blessed with an […]

Grass Valley: What’s new in this gold-rush town

GRASS VALLEY REFLECTS THE RESURGENCE of small towns all across America. It has beauti- fully restored buildings, an historic downtown, festivals, top-notch dining and shopping—and world-class hiking, biking and kayaking nearby. Grass Valley also boasts The Center for the Arts, which hosts big-city talent such as Lily Tomlin and Kris Kristofferson. The historic Holbrooke Hotel […]

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